The Sun. — London, England, 1864-12-30 00:00:00

XONEY MARKET AND "YOM.HERCILL INTELLIGENCE, CITY, TWELTE O'CLOCK. A very active demand for discount accommoda tion has again been experienced in the general Loney market. Bankers and brokers require the full quotation of 6 per cent. for the negotiation of the best commercial bills, and as a consequence of this stringency a great portion of the mercantile Community has resorted to the Bank of England for the assistance they r(qaire. The Bank of England return for the past week shows to what great extent applications for discount have been made to the authorities. The changes are rather uafavonrable, but, for the most part, are peculiar to the present season. Annexed are the particulars : Active Circulation .. Increase .. Bullion Decrease .. Rost •• .. .. Increase .. Public Deposits .. Increase Other Deposits.. .. Increase .. Seven Day and other Bills .. Decrease .. Government Securities Increase • • • • Other Securities Increase Notes Unemployed .. Decrease .. £19,372,985 .. 155,555 .. 14,100,974 .. 206,786 .. 3,356,861 14,497 .. 8,601,125 .. 906,509 .. 13,040,643 .. 112 836 .. 437,450 14,127 .. 10,824,642 .. 350,000 .. 19,786,541 .. 1,032,0;6 .. 8,663,490 291,010 At the tenth annual meeting of the Law Union sire and Life Insurance Company the report stated that in the fire department 4,189 new policies had been issued during the year, insuring £2,320,463, and yielding in premiums £5,493 ; and in the life department, 268 new policies, insuring £173,075, Yielding in premiums £6,048. A dividend of 8 per cent, on the paid-up capital was declared. There were no bullion operations at the Bank Yesterday. The adjourned meeting of the creditors of Messrs les, Evans, Hands, and Wells, WAS held yesterday. After a lengthened discussion as to the liabilities, and the probable result of the liquidation, which Was fully explained by Mr White, the accountant, lt was unanimously resolved to accept a composition of lie in the pound at four, eight, and twelve months. CITY, Two o'CLocR. At Paris, this day, according to Mr. Renter's Telegram, the 3 per cent. French Rentes were 60f. 10c. Firm. Very little business has been transacted . to.day 1 11 the market for the English Funds, and the same may be reported of the other departments of the Stock Exchange. The quotations upon the whole ere very firmly supported. Consols,lare 891 for transfer, and 891 for ;the ECCltnt. New rhrees and Reduced Annuities are 881 1 ; do. 5 Der Cents., 1873, 1031 ; and India Bonds, 6s to 10s. prem. Bank Stock is quoted 240, and India do. 212, ex div. There is rather less firmness in the Foreign karket, and business is dull. Turkish 6 per Cents., 1862, are 721 t; do. Consolides, 481 ; Mexi. Can, 291 ; do. New, 271 t,-; Greek, 23/ ; Span. i®h Passive, 321 Q ; do. Certificates; 141 ; the Confederate Loan, 55 57 ; the Egyptian, 1 ptn. ; the Danubian, 1 dis par; and the Montevidean, 21 prem. In the Railway Share Market the dealings have been on a very moderate scale, and prices have not Varied to any important extent. Caledonian have declined Ll, and Brighton, 55.; while Metropolitan bare improved ss. The Foreign and Colonial lines remain without material change as regards value. Bank and Miscellaneous Shares are a shade flitter. Imperial Ottoman have receded to 164 ; Aus tralian Agricultural to 20; Crystal Palace Stock to 2 2; while Peninsula and Oriental Steam have ad. Viinced to 781. BRITISH FUNDS-ONE O'CLOCK, , GOVERNMENT FUNDS. ",per •Cent. Console Do Account, Jan. 10 per Cent. Reduced B4 if New 3 per Cent. BBa i 11. v,, 21 per Cent. Jan. 1894... — Do 5 per Cent., Jan. 1873 lO3l 3 Annuities, 30 yrs, expire :ith Jan., 1880 — Do for 30 yrs, expire sth AprilBBs — Do (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug. 1908 — 4 )trthequer Bills, £l,OOO, 41per Cent. — Do £5OO , Do £ lOO and £2OO 'kak England Stir, 5t per. Ct. D, Account.. I 4 NDUN GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. `raciia Stock, 105 per Cent., April 1874 — Tao Account 212 a d * Do 5 per Cent. July, 1870 l)-) Account . • • . DJ 4 per Cent., Oct. 1888 — Do 5 per Cent., Jan. 1872 Do 55 per Cent., May, 1879 — 1)o 4 per Cent., Aug. 1866 .. Do Bonds £l,OOO 8 6 10 pm Do under $1,000.. FOREIGN FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK. Ittstrian Bonds, 5 per Cent .. ra.zilian 5 per Cent Do 45 per Cent., 1852-58-60 Do 1863 — Buenos Ayres 6 per Cent.... ~' hilian 6 per Cent. — 'Qtambian 6 per Cent — 'lax, 6 per Cent, - ~ Do 5 per C en t. 1864 "anish 3 per Cent., 1826 Do 4 per Cent, 1863 Do 5 per Cent., 1773-77, £26 paid — pm ' c luador New Consolidated, 1 per Cent.. , b Do, Pro v i sona l L an d W arran t — 'l3'YptLan 7 per Cent.. , Do, Second Issue Lo £lOO Bonds _ Do 1864 94i 95i Do Scrip, £l5 paid pip ; h Do Account i're,ek 5 per Cent. ) 1824-5, es-Coupons — " Do Account Do Coupons — I, Do Account — ` i llateinala 6 per Cent . .. -- I t Do 1839 an d 1860 a ...... • t i ali an 5 rder Cent.(Maremmana Railway) exicar i 3 per Cent 1)0 Account __ 29i ~,, Do 1864.. -Do 6 per Cent. Anglo-French die Do Scrip, £53 paid — dis 4 1 -' 0 French Scrip, Ex. 25f 20c — dis x d 04ria i Imperial 5 per Cent ~!'w Granada .. 'J • o 2 per Cent. — Do Deferred DO.„ Land Warrants (Hectares) — -lie Debentures, 4 per Ct., April 1864 — I. Do do Aug., 1866 — 11 .1vian 41 per Cent — Bo 3 per Cent. (Uribarren) ... — D 0 41 per Cent., 1862 .. A Do Account ottuguese 3 per Cent., 1853 i1. ) ,0 account • • --- 1- , o 3 per Cent., 18,56, '7, '9, '60, _ 62,'3.. 481 i ) "0 Account — assia t 6 per Cent 1822, £ St., .- 1) 0 4i per Cent., 1850 • • Do 1860 . Do 3 per Cent 1859 D 0134 e p er Cent, 1862 4 44 Scrip, £65 paid W.inian 5 per Cent l' 4, Jo Account +Tallish 3 per Cent 1 )o Account — Do New Deferred 13 0 Account 4, 0 Passive 4,, 1)0 Account — i'l%nish Cert. of Coup not funded — i 3 , 4 90 Account t edieh, 4 per Cont — t lrkish 6 per Cent. 1854 L 0 Account o 6 per Cent. 1358 ...,, .......... , 1) 0 A ecount 7oi a 1 " r . 0 £lOO Bonds 1 ,*• ) 6 per Cent. 1862 X 3 4 Account ~"0 £lOO Bonds.. 7 6 per Cent. 1.863 --• 1." 10 Guaranteed, 4 per Cent....... • - , l iczuela 3 per Cent. .. "0 Account - 46 ) 0 6 per Cent., 1862 1 ) 0 Account b 3 p Cent., 1861 O 1 / per Cent Dividends on the above payable in London. gel„110n, 5 per Cent„ E. 10 Florins. 11 4t glan 41 per Cent., Ex. 25f. — OP 2 1 per Cent., Ex. 12 Gull — , i .° 4 per Cent. Certificates .. — V ll Oll Renter, 3 per Cent. .. i ft b / 1 5 5 per Cent., 1861, Ex. 25 francs.. A 0 4 ccount ll is ti vian Dollar Bonds, 4/ per Ct. Ex. 45. 4111 0ntese, 5 per Cent., Ex. 25f — t O4 TWO O'CLOCK, i toln, m oney -'olkccont.t 0000 0 4 . " 891 SHARE MAP T LITS.—This Day. ORDINARY SHARES AND STOOLS. ! Railways. Paid. Closing " Business Price. I done. 88 00 133 134 6 7 34 36 16 17 83 91 106 108 47i 481 7A 8} 131 136 156 157 130 i 3?, 89 01 79i 80 67 60 18 60 44 46 100 102 116} 117 83 84 105 k 104 1 38 40 121 1221 97 98 61 15 122 ;25 14 i ;41 105 111 65 66 256 16} 1141 /151, 73i 7ii 1 , 15 IC5a 374 384 11 12 p 9 10 120 125 2 1 14 79 60 101 138 ;42 58 (35 44 46 86 161 8 D 163 168 36 46 ; IA 111 38 40 80 701 451 41 86 i 13.14. Bir.. Wol., and Str. Val uythe and Tyne. Bristol and Exeter Aledonian ork and Bandon :0 f Jornwall Do A y A tzets no div Do. B till 6p e.p an.has been paid to B. Dublin & Belfast June. flun.,Perth,&Ab. Juno. Edinburgh & Glasgow. .31asg. and S. Western. Areal Eastern, Ord. eta Ditto A stook Ditto EaBt Anglian st ireatNorthof Scotian:l great Northern Do A stook Do L 3 do Gt. S. ant W. of Trelan ;teat Westena,Origin al Do Str Val a . ua. 23AOCK Do. South Wales Do. NV cst 3.11 d. -Oxford NewportDo Do Hereford Lancashire & Yorkshire London and libtokwall Lon., Bright.,,t S. Coast L )n., Chat., and Dover. Lon. & North Western Lon. & So•.th Western Shef., & Lincoln. Haryport and Carlisle Do f shares 1 Metropolitan IMidland Do Binning - . & Derby Vlid. Gt. W. of Ireland Do. shares Mid Katt North British Edin., Perth, & Dundee Nth. Eastern—Berwick Do, G.N.E. purchase Do. Leeds Do York Do Carlisle Do. Stock. & Darling Do do 1855-58 Do do 186 G-61 North London Do New ..- Do New, 1864 North Statibrdshire N. and S. W. Junction Scottish Central Scot N. E., Aber. stoo,c Do Soot. Mid. stock , Shrews. and Welchpool Shropshire Union South Devon South Eastern Staines,Wok.,andWok Taff Vale.. .. . Do C Vale of Neath Waterford ‘t Kilkenny West Cornwall W. nartlepoolHar.e.%R BRITISH POSSESSIONS. Railways ttlantio 9s St • Lawrene, fom.,Baroda&.Cent In , Gu. 5 per cent... Do. E. Shares fatal° and Laaelluror Do. Preference suffalo,BrantA(Uodriel p. et. bds. Aug. 1, 187. Jo. do. July 1, 187 )o. do. Juue 1. 18; ;leutta.aS.Eastn. (Lin 'apeTown &Dock Seri Demerara 7 p.c. per. pf slastn. Bengal gu. 5 p. past Indian. zu. 5 p. c Do. do. J Ext Grand Trunk ot Can.& Do. Equip. Mort. Bonds 1 charge 6 per cent. Do. Ist Vret. Bonds Do. do. deferred Do. 2d Pref. Bonds Do. do. deferred Do. 3d Pref. stock Do. do. deferred..." , Do. 4th Pref. stook Do. do. deferred t3t.lndlaPentn.gua.sp.c Do. GUA. 5 per cent Do. New p,ua. 5 p. o it. South.of India (Lim guaranteed 5 per cent. Do. 41 per cent Do. t. W. of Canada Share, Do. New .. • • Do. 8 p.c. '73 with't opt Jo. 54 p. o. do. '77-8.... Indian Branch Limited Madras guar., 5 p. o. Do. 41 p. 0. Extensioi. De. d 0.... Do. Fifth Extension. klelb.Corp. 6 p. o. Bndh lielb. & liobson's Bay. gewßrunswiok Cand, Class A and B. X.R.l.C'dao po Ist pi bdb Soinde ) Do. Delhi Do. d 0...... Do. Punjaub I Do . Indue.St. Floq) 100 [lOO 100 2 lio k,lOO Closing Price. Paid. 58 60 100 101 }dig ip 5 5i 8i 9 75 80 48 100 8) 85 LONIAL (3OVER British Columbia, 6 per, cent., Dec. 31, 1872 Do. do. 1883 4r,J ui: 1877.81 Do. a p.c. Feb.& Aug.l Do. 6 p. o. 31ar. & Sept Do. E p. c. Jan.&July. Do. 5 Inscribed stock pe G. Hope, 6 p 0,187: Do.Ap & Oct. 185( Do. 189 , )0. Jan. & July. 1891 Ceylon, N0v.1663, 6 p Do. 1878, do. ilauritins 6 p.cent.lB73 Do. 187 Do. 1882 catal Gov. 6 per cent 51.13.00 v. 6 p.o...)a.szJui) S.W. G ov. 5 p 208.1 Dth 5 p. c.,lBii to Do. d0.,1888 dzupwch , ;ew Zealand 6 p cent iova Scotia Gov. 6 p. c sterling, 1875 lueensland Gcv. 6 p. a ~ Aus Gov. 8 p.c.168- Do. 1 7e 4,t in_Ward 4.,. Vic.Uov. 6 p.c. JitazJuly Do. lo 6 p.o. An.&Oot.. 103 104 104 1)5 21 22 83 91 70 72 61 (34 66 68 56 58 53 54 47 50 3) 32 28 30 1034 104 i pr tp pr 4p 101 103 9 96 116 11 88 00 80 82 1 6d 1026 1036 96 98 91 93 39 61 3 h 82 84 10; 103 102 dID i 1N i 103 101 95 97 1' SECUItITIIII,S 99 101 97 09 97 99 88 90 86 89 108 105 106 ICB 106 108 109 111 [Ol 104 11e 105 10? 106 109 tO6 108 14 106 98 101 08 100 9O 94 96 105 107 (0 101 ,01 105 LO7 102 106 10? 1061 BRITISH MINES. i 2 •anThitan Consol. Gola — 1 T Chiverton ...... 3 131 /1 ,Littoru Amalgamated — 38 )even G. Con.. (Tavist OBO 600 Drakewal's.. ... ,ast Bassett (Illogan) ,t. 47 42 East Caradon ...... ••,,st Carn Brea 3.4.(, 0 7 East Grenville .. ..... East Lovell :G. W'lltussel (Tavistk 8.13., 5 54 ;am.ttr.St.Aubyn(Gwen 60, 5 7 4 Great Laxey, 1ir0...: all 18 19 ;teat Boutit Tolgus... lit; J. 2 i. Wheal Vor (Ifelstoll 10 82 83 irenville.. I emd's- Foot o.lB 35 31' I ingston Downs 1.18.( 4 41 largaret (Uny Lelan! . 3 8 g 4 arke Valley.. 4 lyndv Iron Oro (Lim. 2A 11 r; --Nangiles........ l9 18Q yew 6etun....., - • :orth Downs 3 4 1 North Roskear 294 1/ 1 .. NY WI Basset (1 i i0.41:p 3.1 i .6 1 2 :orth Wheal Crofty . 2.80 2 23 Prosper Untted...n 7.1.e. 24 3 -- lovulenee(Uny Lelut 106.7 34 38 iouthCaradon(St.Cleet 3.1 .20 540 ~ .Wheal Fran. (111ogau `s.l .1 3/I 11 0 Stray Park P.M( 18 30 Vin Croft 4 16 17 West Basset (Illorran).. 11 7 9 V C, radon fLiskeard 2 7 9 West Chivert on West Sewn Nhes.l Basset (Mogan 5 924 971 islieal Buller (Itedruth, 1 9 11 Wheal Ludt ott - 4 1 Wheal Mary Ann ;Li en 8 18 15 tVheal scton viTheal Tretawney (Lis. 7 17 19 Wheal Union 4 t I PREFERENCE SHARE& North Eastern, Stockton and Darlington, B 6 per cent., 321 PREFERENCE SHARES AND STOCKS. Great Eastern 5 per cent. pf., 99 London, Chatham, Am, Metrop. Ext., B 6_per cent., 92 Ditto, 6 per cent. C, 70e LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS. S. York. and River Dun, lOt FOREIGN RAILWAYS. Great Luxembourg, 121 Namur and Liege, gua. 6 per cent. pf.,,191 FOREIGN MINES, Cape Copper, lira., 11}1: BANKB.: Alliance (lfm.l. 36 61 Australasia, 651 City, 1 6} 7 Consolidated Bank, lim., 111 1 imperial Ottoman, 161 London and Brazilian (llm.), 46/ i London Chartered Ba, kof Australia, 241 4 London, Hamburg, Co t. Exchange, li m ., 101 11 London and South Afri Itn, 22} National Provincial of England. 165 Union of Australla,ls4l DOCKS. London and St. Katharine, 72i 18 MISCELLANEOUS. Australian Agricultural, 20 City Offices, lim,, 5 Oredit Fonder and Mob'lier of England, 81 Ditto (ii), bi Crystal Palace, 32 Ebbw Vale, 41 Fore-street Warehouse, lim., 91 Gen. Credit and Finance of London. lim. 11 1 Imperial Mercantile Credit Asso. , International Finanoial 600iety, lim., 71 Joint Stock DiscountZlim.. 91 London Financial Association. lim., 24 31 4 London General Omnibus Company, 3i Milwall Iron Works, 41 National Discount Company, lim., 161 National Provincial Marine, 31 North British and Mercantile Insurance, lim., 19) Ocean Marine Insurance),:26l Peel River Land and Mineral, 41 Peninsula and Oriental Steam, 81 Ditto, new, 481 Smith, Knight, ant Co., Jim., 3 ?) Universai Marina, Insurance, Um., 5 1 Warrant Finance, lim.. 9 The Dovere, of Genoa, publishes a letter addressed by Mezzini to the subscribers of that journal who do not pay, in which ho severely comments upon their avarice, which induces them to refuse an annual subscription of sfr. to a journal which exercises a high moral mission. "Ay," he adds, " sfr., which they would not refuse to those who provide them with objects of personal necessity," riip..z SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 30, 1864. POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day. MARLBOROUGH- STREET. ROBBERY AT A JEIVELLER . S.--William Clarence, de scribed as an accountant, but who refused his address, was charged before Mr Knox with stealing a gold chain, and some lockets, of the value of £lO, from the shop of Mr Jules Rochet, jeweller, 68, Piccadilly. Mr Edward Lewis, of Great Marborough-street, appeared for the prisoner, The prisoner went into the shop of Mr Rochet while lee was serving a lady and gentleman, and asked for a common key. He was served with the key, and the lady and gen tleman 14t. Directly they had gone Mr Rochet missed a chain and five lockets, of the value of £lO, and on the pri soner be ng taxed with taking them he said he would 'ay for them, at the same time pulling rilocket from his pocket, and he afterwards too a chain and three lockets from his coat pocket and placed them on a glass case on the counter, and sail he would pay for them. He was then given into custody of Ricketts, 127 0, when he denied taking the articles. Mr Lewis addressed the magistrate on the prisoner's behalf, requesting, as he had been seen by detectives from the different divisions, and not known, the magistrate to deal with the case, there being every reason to believe it was the prisoner's first offence. Mr Knox declined to c ell with the prisoner, and com mitted him for trial. OBSCENE PHOTOGR,APIIS.—James Brewer, dealer in photographs, &c., of Castle-street, Leicester-square, ap- peared before Mr Knox, to answer a summons taken. out by Inspector Walker, of the C Division, for having a quantity of obscene photographic representations in his possession. The photographic representations which had been seized by the inspector, were produced, and were of a disgusting nature. Mr Ring, of the firm of Wood and. Ring, who appeared for the defendant, said he was only servant to another per- ion. Mr Knox asked whether the defendant would consent to have the articles destroyed ? Mr Ring said he would. The articles were then ordered to be destroyed, and the prisoner discharged. PARISIL PROSECUTION OF A BROTHEL-KEEPER —Ann Saunders, of 62, Charlotte street, described as a lodging house keeper, was brought before Mr Koos, on a warrant, charged with keeping a brothel. Mr Knight, from the office of Mr Rands% solicitor to the authorities of St. Marylebone, the prosecutors, appeared for the prosecution. Evidence having been given that the prisoner was the person keeping the house, she wee committed to the ses sions, bail being taken, herself in £3O and two sureties in £4O each. Horrid Outrage at Glasgow, At the Glasgow winter assizes, on Wednesday, before Lord Ardmillan, Mike M'Glinchy was charged with rape, "in so far as, on the 16th July last, on the Broomloan or Sandy Holes-road, parish of Govan, he attacked Margaret Addie, and did strike her on the head and face, and knack her down, and pull her along the ground into a field, and did there kick her on the head and face, and compress her throat and ravish her." He was also charged with intent to ravish. The prisoner, who pleaded guilty as libelled, is about V) or 30 years of age, and did not exhibit any signs of brutality. The Advocate-Depute stated that, after deliberate consi deration of the caae, he had decided to restrict the pains of law to an arbitrary punishment. Mr Male, who appeared for the prisoner, called several witnesses, who gave him an excellent character up to the time of the outrage in question. They described him as being very in( ffensive, and as having conducted himself in a regular manner. The prisoner's counsel addressed the Court in mitigation of l.unishment. It appeared, he said, that the crime was committed under the influence of drink, and although in general drink is an aggravation of an cffence, yet in a peculiar case of this nature—a case caused by excitement of passion—it might have been in a moment of almost what one might call temporary insanity that ho was ltd to commit this most brutal and unjustifiable assault. Lord Ardmillian, in passing sentence, said to the prisoner —According to the law of Scotland, as still unaltered, rape committed under circumstances such as • the present, is a capital charge, You may consider yourself most extremely fortunate that the prosecutor has felt it to be his duty not to demand a capital sentence. Had he demanded that I should have had no alternative but to have pro nounced it. As it stands, however, this is a confession of rape—completed rape upon the person of a woman, and committed under circumstances of the gravest and most aggravated character—an outrage such as has rarely happened in Scotland. In the midst of summer, ere day light had altogether departed, a respectable woman walk. ing alone—having retired to no lonely spot, but walking where she was enlitled to expect to be free from such vio lence—is seized, attacked, and assaulted in the most furious manner, grievously injured, and ravished contrary to her will, and notwithstanding her resistance. The law of this country protects thehonour of a woman as much as the life of a human being; and there is no graver offence than wil ful, violent forcing of the honour of a woman. But the commisssion of this sic', under the circumstances here set forth, was accompanied by violence of such a charac• ter as to make this one of the most fearful outrages that this country has ever seen ; and therefore the sen tence of the court in your case must be one which pro. tects the public in all time coming from your violence; and it must further be one which will duly warn all others in whom violent passions, inflamed by drink, might pro duce such fe trful consequences. Having said this, I have not another word to add to pain your heart under these circumstances. But if you have a heart at all, I would, in one word, pray you to remember that whatever may be your guilt, and though no human law can do no more for you than close you up in penal service for the remainder of your life, there is a law which you have broken in regard to which mercy may be obtained; and I pray you to remember that your crime, bad as it is, is not beyond the reach of God's mercy. I earnestly beseech you to pray that you may be forgiven one of the gravest crimes which I have ever known to be committed. Pray that you may get a new heart, and that the evil passions which led you to this crime may, by the grace of Gad, be overthrown in your heart ; and if that be the result, even penal servitude for life will be a blessing to your soul. The sentence of the Court is that you suffer, penal servitude during the whole period of your natura life. The prisoner was then removed from the bar, Board of Trade Return s The official returns relating to trade and navigation for the 11 months ending Nov, 30, 1864, have just been pub lished, From these it appears that the total declared value of the exports from the United kingdom during that period was .£148,310,865, against £132,135,368 in the like period of 1863, showing an increase of £16,205,497. The increase is moat perceptible in beer and ale, coals and culm, cotton yarn, cotton manufactures, earthenware, haberdashery and millinery, hardwares and cutlery, linen manufactures, and woollen and worsted manufactures. The Importations of the principal articles were larger for the 11 months as regards live animals, raw cotton, sheep and lambs' wool, flax, hemp, quicksilver, rice, coffee, brandy timber, tobacco, and wine, but there is a diminution in guano, potatoes, provisions, raw silk, tallow, cocoa, wheat, barley, flour, currants, rum, unrefined sugar, and tea. The shipping accounts exhibit a slight increase in the amount of tonnage employed in the foreign trade of the United Kingdom for the 11 months, both as regards the entries inwards and the clearances outwards. In the coasting trade for the same period 867,853 tons more were employed than in the corresponding period of 18G3 for the entries inwards, while there was a decrease of 11,930 in the clearances outwards. Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day -~-- -~ The excess of stock, about 114,000 bales, has cau3ed a very quiet market. Sales, uncertain, bat probably about 5,000 bales, at a decline of about id. in short and staple cotton. The return issued from the Bank of France is likewise unfavourable. The discounts have been increased £1,380,000, the advances £53,200, and the notes in circulation £190,000. The bullion has been reduced by £160,000, but the Treasury balances show an augmentation of £760,000, and the current accounts of £600,000. THE SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE IRON TRADE.— WOLVERHAMPTON, Dec. 29.—The preliminary meeting of the ironmasters of this district was held at the Swan Hotel this afternoon ; Mr W. 0. Foster, M.P., in the chair. A resolution was unanimously carried to the effect that the prices of finished iron remain as heretofore. It was also resolved that in the interests of the trade a panel of gentlemen be appointed to act as a committee of the trade, and that they, in the rotation of their names, be appointed to act as chairmen of the iron trade of South Staffordshire foi one year each. The names of the gentlemen selected to constitute this panel are the chairman of this meeting, Mr Wm. Mathews, Mr John Hartley, Mr Wm. Barrows, Mr Geo. Barker, Mr Walter Williams, kin., Mr Frederick Smith, and Mr W. M. Sparrow —names well known as being among the heads of the trade in this district. The course which the smeltmen and puddlers will pursue in re ference to the proposed reductions in their wages scale is not yet known, as the notices will be given on Saturday ; but as the step which the masters have taken has been forced upon them by the depressed state of the trade, and is, moreover, a reasonable one, it is to be hoped that the men will consult their own interests and acquiesce. 'With the suffering and desolation resulting from the colliers' strike before their eyes, no rational man will, it may be supposed, be lured into a repetition of that folly. It may be remembered that about a year ago M. Dubray, statuary, was deprived by an accident of the fruit of a long labour. Ho had just completed the model of an equestrian statue of Napoleon I. for the Hotel-de-Ville at Rouen, where the iron snpports of the work gave way beneath the weight of the mass of plaster, and the statue falling to the ground to pieces. Nothing discouraged, M. Dubray again set to work, and in ten months the statue has been again completed, and is now ready to be oast in bronze. SHOCKING DEATH OF A GENTLEMAY.—YesteI a day Mr Bedford, the coroner for Westminster, held an inquest at St, George's Hospital, upon the body of Mr George Gilstrap, aged 40, of the firm of Gilstrap and Sons, malstere, of Newark, Nottinghamshire, who was crushed beneath an express train at Balham station, on the London, Brighton, and South Coast Hallway. From the evidence it appeared that on the 26th inst. the deceased was noticed upon the platform of the Balham station waiting for a train. Before it arrived, however, he left a little boy who was with him and proceeded to the end of the platform. At this time the one o'clock express train from Hastings was due, and the driver of the engine, whilst at 150 yards distance, noticed the deceased standing on the line, and from the manner in which he was arranging his dress, believed he had got down from the platform for a natural con venience. The engine driver sounded his whistle at once, but without avail, and before the deceased could get out of the way the buffer of the engine struck and hurled him beneath the train. The train was pulled up as soon as possible, when the unfortunate gentleman was toured upon the line most dreadfully injured. Without delay he was placed in the guard's van of another train and brought to the hospital. Other evidence showed that the deceased had no right to have gone to the place ho did, as every convenience was provided at the station. Mr Barker, house■surgeon of the St George's Hospital,stated that he found on theadte lesion of the deceased that he was in an extrem e state of collapse. The left leg was completely smashed, the bones protruding, whilst both feet had been severed. The left arm was fractured, and the back severely injured. Every possible remedy was adopted, but the deceased gradually sank, and expired about half past three o'clock the same day, from the combined injuries he had received, The deceased was, notwithstanding, sensible up to the time of his death, and spoke of the cir cumstances of the occurrence as borne out by the witnesses. The coronet having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death." LORD MA . CAULAT, passing one day through Seven-disk', one of the lowest neighbourhoods of London, bought a handful of ballads from some street folk who were bawling out their contents to a gaping audience Proceeding on his way home, he was astonished, on sud denly stopping, to find himself surrounded by half a score of urchins, their faces beaming with expectation. " Now, then, my lads, what is it ?" said he- " Oh, that's a good'un," replied one of the boys, "after we've come all this way." "But what are you waiting for ?" asked the historian, astonished at the lad's familiarity, " Waiting for! Why, ain't you going to sing, guv'ner P'' The Condemned Convict Butler. A public meeting of the inhabitants of Worcester was held at the Guildhall in that city yesterday to adopt a memorial to the Home Secretary for a re mission of the capital sentence passed on John But• ler for the murder of Carolina Gulliver at Holt. The chair was taken by the Mayor (Mr J. D. Perrin) aud several aldermen and members of the local Town Council were present. . The MAYOR, in opening the proceedings, said he had convened the meeting in compliance with the requisition signed by a body of bis fellow-citizens, and having explained that there was no desire to arraign tri 1 by jury, he called upon Mr E, L. WILLIAMS, engineer to the Severn Naigation Cuturnis , ,ioners, who spoke at some length, reopening the a hole of the facts ecnnectcd with the trial of Butler. These may be briefly re capitulated here. Butler, it may be remembered, wes lock-keeper at the Holt lock of the Severn nevi• gation, and the deceased woman was his housekeeper. Oue Saturday night Mrs Gulliver went to a neigh bour's and complained of Butler's ill-treatment, that he had threatened her and thrown her bonnet into the river. The neighbour offered her a bed for the night, but she said she would go back to the house, and did so. Shortly afterwards she was heard cry ing out " You -- old rogue," " You -- old vil lain," and this was followed by a noise described by the witnesses as of the bleating of a sheep. Next day Mrs Gulliver was missing, and, being questioned about her, Butler said he supposed she was gone to see her friends. Suspicion arose, and the river being dragged, the body of the woman was found a few days later in the river at the mouth of the lock with marks of violence on the head. Upon this evidence the prisoner was found guilty of murder, and Mr. Justice Byles expressed his approval of the verdict and sentenced him to death. Mr Williams now maintained that the evidence did not warrant such a verdict, and stated that the barristers engaged in the case both for the prosecution and the defence had expressed opinions that there ought not to have been a conviction upon such evidence as was given on the trial, and that several magistrates had ex pressed a similar opinion. He therefore felt it to be his duty to do all he could to save from an ignomi nious death one who for 20 years had faithfully done his duty in his position as lock-keeper under the Severn Commissioners. It was not for him (Mr Williams) to say that Butler was innocent. God only knew his innocence or guilt, but he had his own opinion on the matter, :and there was sufficient doubt in the case to warrant them in the step which they proposed to take. The question for them to consider, then, was whether the evidence brought forward on the trial was sufficiently reliable and strong to warrant the taking away of the life of a human being. He maintained that it was not, and proceeded to analyse the evidence of several of the witnesses, charging one of them (Police -sergeant Mathews) with going into the prisoner's cell at one o'clock in the night to " tout" for evidence against him. He arraigned the evidence of another witness as not reliable, and accounted for the taciturnity of the prisoner after the woman's disappearance by his characteristic moroseness of disposition. In conclu sion, he put it to the meeting whether, supposing that Butler had in the heat of passion struck the de ceased woman a blow which had resulted in her death, they were on that mere supposition to take away his life. Mr R. T. REA, coroner, mentioned some facts connected with the case which were not brought forward on the trial, and Mr CLUTTERBUCK, attorney, on the same point, recommended that supplementary evidence be laid before the Home Secretary and the judge before whom Butler was tried. Mr Alderman LEA moved the adoption of a memorial to the Home Secretary. He wished to ex. press no, opinion on the subject of capital punish meat, but he had signed the requisition to the Mayor from his own personal knowledge, as a sworn commissioner, of Butler, and his conviction that he never contemplated wilful murder. The memorial was then road. After stating the fact of the condemnation of the prisoner, it went on to state—" That ;many of your memorialists were present at the trial of the prisoner, and heard the whole of the evidence against and for him, and were unable to concur in the verdict of the jury, notwithstanding it met with the approbation of the judge who tried the prisoner. That, in the judg ment of your memorialists, such evidence did not exclude the probability that the deceased might have come by her death by voluntary or accidental drowning. Your memorialists respectfully submit that there is grave and serious doubt upon the pro priety of this prisoner's :conviction, and that the mind of society is entitled to be relieved from the dread apprehension that efflicts it that while the majesty of the law is being vindicated to man, a sight more fearful in the eyes of God may be en acted in the mistaken sacrifice of another human life. Your memorialists, therefore, humbly pray that the recommendation by the jury of the priso ner to the merciful consideration of the Court may be brought under the gracious consideration of the Crown, and the life of the convict be spared." Alderman HILL, in seconding the adoption of the memorial, said he did not hold himself responsible for the whole of the statements that had been made by Mr Williams, and expressed a fear that if they went to the quarter where the memorial was ad dressed they would be unfavourably received. He supported the memorial on the broad basis that the life of a fellow creature ought not to be taken on such evidence as that given at the trial. On the motion of Alderman WEBB, seconded by Alderman WOOD, a deputation was appointed to present the memorial, and the meeting broke up. _ The memorial had received about 100 signatures at 5 o'clock last evening. MARK E T S---This Day. THAMES. ALE AND OXALIC ACID.—ATTEMPTED SUICIDE,--A well-dressed woman named Hannah Urayston, aged 45, the wife of a carpenter, as brought before Mr Partridge charged with attempting to commit suicide. John Horne, a police constable, No. 283 K, stated that last night, at 9 o'clock, he was called into the Mercer's Arms publichouse in Jubilee-street, Stepney, where he found the prisoner, who had a glass of ale and sugar of lead before her. Mr Partridge—A curious mixture; did she intend to drink it ? WitLess—Yes, Air. She appeared very much excited, and said she intended to destroy herself and was tired of her life. I took her into custody, and seiz,cl the glass and the mixture. A muddy-looking fluid, a combination of ale and oxalic acid, which the most thirsty soul would not be tempted to taste, was here produced. An intelligent boy, named Charles Kent, of No. 19A, Jubilee-strect, Stepney, said he was in a beershop and saw the prisoner, who had a paper containing poison, and said she was going to poison herself. He followed her and saw her go into the Miners's Arms and put it into the ale. She was about to drink it, and be spoke to a gentleman, who took the glass from her, and called in a police con stable. Inspector Griffin, of the K division, here said—The pri soner was here yesterday morning, and fined for being drunk and incapable of taking care of herself. The prisoner—lt is all through my husband. He has left me. Mr Partridge remanded the prisoner for a week. MARYLEBONE. CONVICTION Or AN ORGAN GRINDER.—A young Italian named Antonio Taglioni, of Liquorpond-street, Clerken well, was charged with playing as organ in Manchester square, to the annoyance of an inhabitant, and refusing to go away when requested on account of illness. George Collis deposed that he was in the service of Mr Babbage, of 1, Dorset-street, Manchester-square. Last evening, about six o'clock, there was loud playing of an organ near to his master's house, who was ill and had not been able to leave his room for several days. At his mas ter's request he went and told the prisoner to desist and go away as his master was ill. He did not go at once, but , upon being again requested, he went to the other side of the street and again commenced playing. Witness again asked him to go, at the same time telling him (prisoner) that Mr Babbage was ill. He continued playing, and some of the people around gave the prisoner some money, whilst others were dancing. As he would not go witness fetched a porce. man and gave him into custody. Prisoner (through his interpreter) said—He understood the prosecutor wanted him to go away, but thinking that he was only a drunken passer by he took no notice. He declined to go till he (prosecutor) pulled his stick and let the organ fall on the ground. Mr Mansfield said he c'id not believe this, and sentenced the prisoner to pay a penalty of 40e, or in default to be im prisoned for a month. Decision under the “ Truck Act." In the Sheffield County Court on Wednesday a decision of considerable importance under the Truck Act was deli vered by Mr T. Ellison, judge. On the previous Wednesday an action had been heard in which the Messrs. Hattersley, fender manufacturers, of Wentworth-street, sought to re• cover £6 15s. 2d, from a man named G. Ryalls, of Bond street, for goods sold. It appeared at the trial that the defendant had been in the employment of the plaintiffs as a foreman, and that he had purchased from them a gold watch, an iron bedstead, a quantity of perfumes, and other articles, which were to be paid for, as the plaintiffs alleged, by weekly instalments, but which were in reality, as the defendant asserted, paid for by stoppages from his wages each week. He alleged that he and other workmen were compelled to purchase goods from the plaintiffs as a means of retaining their situations. The defendant's solicitor, Mr Gould, raised the objection that this evidence brought the case within the Truck Act, but the plaintiffs contended that the defendant, being a foreman, was not a "workman or artificer" within the meaning of that act, The defendant replied that he had frequently worked at the manufacture of fenders as an ordinary workman; and the judge said he could not discover that the foreman was anything more than a workman of a higher grade. The case was adjourned until yesterday, when his honour asked Mr Fretson if he had been able to find any cases in which it was held that a foreman was not a workman ? Mr Fretson replied he had not. The Judge observed that the defendant's evidence was that he bought things constantly from the plaintiffs, and that he had between £6O and £7O worth of goods from them, and that certain sums were deducted from his wages every week. He also said that he himself Worked at the trade as fender maker. Originally he was a workman, then he was made foreman, but during part of the time in which he held that post he worked at the trade as an ordinary workman, and that that was part of his business. Mr Gould objected that the defendant Was an artificer, and ne relied also upon the act generally as showing that a contract such auch as had been shown was void ) as against the policy of the law, but there did not appear to him (the judge) to be any case for the defendant upon that ground. The 6th sec tion of the act, however, was a sufficient answer to the de maul of the plaintiffs in this case. The section enacted that "no employer of any artificer in any of the trades enu merated should be entitled to maintain any action or suit against any such artificer for or in respect of goods or mer chandise, &c., supplied to any such artificer by such em ployer while in hie employment, or on account of his wages or in reward of his labour." If the section had stopped there there might have been a question, but it went on to say, "or for or in respect of any goods sold or delivered to him at any shop or warehouse kept by such employer, or in the profits of which such employer had a share," From the evidence in this case it was quite clear that the employer was in the habit of selling goods to the workmen he employed ; and the question then arose, was the defen dant, being a foreman, an artificer ? He had given that point the best consideration he could, and ho thought that a foreman was clearly within the meaning of the act, and that view was supported by the defendant's evidence, which showed that he had worked as an ordinary work• man. He must hold that a foreman was an artificer within the meaning of the act, and there would be judg ment for the defendant, Without costs.—Mr Gould applied for costs, Tho defendant's case had not been heard, but judgment had been given upon it technical point, Whilst there was a good defence upon the merits. —Mr Fretson— You would scarcely have relied upon the technical defence if you had bad a gcod answer otherwise,--The Judge—l supposed Mr Gould had no answer upon the merits, and I dealt with the defence as a technical defence. In truth, the defendant says, " I have had the goods, and I owe you money, but you are not entitled to recover." I don't say that I assume you had no other defence, but I am rather inclined so to think, I do hot think you would have raised that defence if you had had a better.•—Judg• went for the defendant, without costs. SUICIDE ON THE BRIGHTON RAILWAY.—On Sunday evening, as one of the plate-layers at the Red. hill station was examining the line he came upon the body of a female whose head had been severed from her body by a passing train. The deceased has not been identified, but it was evident she must have committed suicide, and the coroner's jury returned a verdict to that effect, MARK LANE. The arrivals of home-grown wheat fresh up to our market to-day were small. The trade, however, was in a sluggish state for all descriptions ; nevertheless good and fine dry samples were disposed of at fully late rates. With foreign wheat the market was well supplied. Gene rally speaking the trade was quiet, RO change took place in prices compared with Wednesday. Floating cargoes of grain moved off slowly at previous currencies. There was a fair supply of barley on the stands. Malting descriptions were in slow request at late rates. For grinding and distilling qualities the demand ruled inactive on former terms. Malt changed hands to a limited extent on former terms, There was a moderate supply of oats on the stands. Nearly all descriptions were in steady request, and prices ruled tolerably firm. Beans and peas met a slow sale at late currencies. The flour trade was quiet on former terms. ARRIVALS THIS WEB. Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour. English .. 790 1,310 900 2,120 1,460 Irish ........ Foreign .. .... 5,850 -- - 9,300 sks Nis BOROUGH HOP. The amount of business passing in our market is very moderate. Prices, however, continue firm, and are with out quotable change from our last report. per cwt. New Mid and East Kent New Weald of Kent 00s to 140 s New Sussex Yearlings ............ NEWGATE AND LEADENILALL. The supply of meat on sale is moderate, and the trade is slow, at our quotations. Per 81b. by the carcase. sd ad Inferior beef .. '2 10 3 4 diddling do. .. 3 6 4 0 Prime largo do. 4 2 4 4 Do. small d 0... 4 6 4 8 Large pork .... 3 6 4 2 Inferior mutton. 3 6 4 0 a d ad Middling mutton 4 '2 4 6 Primo do .. 4 6 4 10 Veal Small pork . , Lamb THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON,—As yet there have not been many casualties on the. Confederate aide since the siege of Charleston has commenced ; and General Jordan tells me he has calculated that it takes the Yankee 70,000 pounds weight of iron to kill or wound a Confederate soldier. Still the incessant, tremendous, deafening, ayacant crashing of the enormous guns affects the nerves of the men, and they are thoroughly knocked up at the end of their five days' service ; and the worthy miesioraries who hold revival and prayer meetings at the different caw, reap a large harvest of repentan t converts each time the garrison I is relieved,—.73lackwood's Magazine f.r January, 101 1161 i 844 106 122 i I i 2 93i 114 31 41 Business don( Opening of the Punjab Railway by the Viceroy of India, (From Allen's India Mail.) A peculiar interest has been attached to the Punjab, or country of the Five Rivers, from the days of Alexander and Porus to our own times. It was the battle field on which the fate of empire has often decided, and the boundary of.' two opposing faiths, where the wild wave of the Maho medan invader from the North broke in vain for centuries against the stolid but rock-like superstition of the Hindoo. The country of the Five Rivers may well be considered the most important portion of Asia south of the Himalaya, not only in its pclitieal, but also in its commercial relations. Communicating on the cast with the valley of the Ganges, commanding on the west the passes into Persia and Affghanistan, it is the great bulwark of British India, be hind which all other provinces repose in safe , y, so lung as it is impregnable. The Punjab, having by th. Indus its communication open with the sea at Kurrachee, not only supplied the men, money, and munitions of war that enabled us to retake Delhi, but from the exuberant fertility of ire extensive plains, it soon after fed, during the famine, the starving millions which had but recently been in rebellion against us. It has not only a population of 15,000,000, equal to that of England 20 years ago, immediately subject to our rule, and scattered over 100,000 square miles, but it con tains within its borders 7,000,000 of people owing fealty to native chiefs, covering nearly a similar area, and making the whole population, for whose peace and well-being the repre sentative of Queen Victoria is responsible, nearly the same in number as the present inhabitants of Great Britain. We have lately seen that this great and important province sent forth its thousands to greet its ancient ruler with, in the East, a rare enthusiasm, and that there was held at the ca•• pital, to honour in his person the majesty and power of England, such a durbar es had never before paid homage to any eastern potentate, the ambassadors of the remote Khan of Kokan coming a journey of three months' duration to sue for protection against the Russians, who had invaded their territory. The Punjab has made great progress dur ing the last few years. During the latter part of Lord Can ning's rule, and the short Viceroyalty which ended so sadly in the quiet Dhurmsala hills, a railway has linked Umritsur, the sacerdotal and commercial capital, with Lahore, the seat of government and reeidence of many of the chiefs, A few months more will see Lahore placed in railway connec tion with Mooltan, 220 miles away on the Chenaub. The city of Umritsur, with its dense population, is the greatest commercial emporium in Northern India. Its merchants have dealings with London, Paris, Conetantinople,lspahan, Bokhara, Herat, Candahar, Cabul, and Chinese Tartary, and with all the chief towns in India. In India, as well as in Europe, the arrival of a great man is taken advantage of to give some éclat to the commencement or opening of railways and as Sir Job's Lawrence had graced the inau guration of the Punjab Railway by turning the first sod several years ago, nothing could be more natural than that he should still further identify himself with this most im portant work by opening a large additional section of the line. The Punjab Railway is 252 miles in length, and ex tends from Umritsur to Mooltan ; and, with the Delhi Rail way, it constitutes the crown of that great steam arch, 2,200 miles in let g,th, which will unite Calcutta, in the Bay of Bengal, with Kurrachee, on the Arabian Sea. The great Central Railway Station at Lahore, now rapidly approach ing completion, is one of the largest and most beautiful structures in India. It, is a very picturesque building, with a style of architecture in the East suggestive enough, although it would in England be considered entirely out of place. It has been built so as to answer in some degree the purposes ea fortress should the occasion arise, as well a 3 of a railway station—and its massive walls, pierced with loopholes for musketry, flanked by bombproof towers, and crowned by minarets, wo•ill give it the appearance of some mediaval castle, were it not for the evident newness of the materials with which it is built. Ilere,in time of danger, the European community could retire, and defend both them selves and the railway against the enemy. Holding the command of this great central station would go a long way to keep open the communications both with Umritsur and. Mooltan. On Feb. 8, 1859,the present Viceroy and Governor General of India, then Lieut. Governor of the Punjab,turned ,he first sod of the Punjab Railway, in presence of a vast as sembly of the native nobility, and with every circumstance calculated to make the ceremonial impressive. Although the heavings of the mu' my had hardly subsided, Sir J. Law rence th n predicted the success of the railway, saying that 1 "few railways in India will have been undertaken under happier auspices." On March 1, 1862, Sir R. Montgomery, the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, opened the first section of the railway, 32 miles in length, which placed La hore and Umritsur in railway communication. That occa sion Sir R. Montgomery characterised as a great day for the Punjab—a new era. Another link," he said, " has been added to the great highway between Kurrachee, the sea port of North Western India, and Umritsur," and he ex pressed his conviction " that not only India in general will undergo a complete change through the earliest possible completion of the railway system, but that more especially the various nations and races of the Punjab, as well as the semi-barbarous tribes that girdle its frontier, will all the sooner succumb to its civilising influence, if we be permitted to augur such a result from the witness we have had on the late opening of the line to Umritsur, and almost daily since, of the excited demeanour, and the unhesitating though wonder-struck subni_ssion /tendered as to a superior power , or race of men, against whom, in future, it would be vain to contend) which the crowds of natives of all classes then exhibited." A Brahmin, on that occasion, looking at a locomotive, remarked, that " all the incarnations of all the gods in India never produced such a thing as that." On the 19th October last, the day after having held the grand durbar at Lahore, Sir John Lawrence inaugurated the open ing of the line from Lahore to Mooltan in the presence of the chief civil and military authorities of India, and of many of the native princes, who had the day before assembled in durbar to pay him, as the representative of the Queen, a willing and loyal homage. Sir John was well satisfied with the section of the railway which he opened. and spoke of the great things that were to be expected from it and other lines in India, both politically and commercially. The next day the Maharajah of Cashmere, the heir apparent, and suite went by special train over part of the line, his highness rid ing some distance on the locomotive, en route to his own do minions, and giving convincing proof that although he had never seen a railway or a locomotive before, he well under stood their mechanism and uses.B The Maharajah is well known for his courtesy and princely hospitality to all who visit his beautiful valleyfor health or recreation, and received from all the authorities the most marked attention. His highness derived much gratification from the short excur sion on the railway, and placed in the hands of his honour, the Lieutenant Governor, 2,500 Rs as a gratuity for the em ployes on the line. After the official opening by the Gover nor G metal of this, the first section of the line from Lahore towards Mooltan, the Punjab Railway Company, to cele brate the event, entertained at dinner, with good old Eng lish fare, in one of the passenger waiting rooms at Lahore, a magnificent apartment 80 feet in length, 120 of their Euro pean emploe ee. An eye'eitness remarked, " The durbar at which the viceroy received 600 princes and chiefs in a splen did tent, pitched on a vast plain, was doubtless a magnifi cent sight, but we regarded the assembly of 100 hard handed plain English mechanics, in an ordinary railway waiting room erected in the ancient Sikh capital as far more curious and suggestive, and one calculated to excite emo tions of a more pleasurable nature. The ono was a mere pageant, representative of the barbaric , splend ur of the dark ages, while the other was the living embodiment of progress and enlightenment. We cannot better conclude this notice than by adopting the words of Mr R. Temple, late commissioner of Lahore, on the occasion of the first sod of the railway being turned by Sir John Lawrence, when Mr Temple alluded to the services of the chairman of the company in the following eloquent terms : —" Mr Andrew has, by his enterprise and spirit as a public man, and by his talents as an author, largely contributed to the great undertaking of which we have this day celebrated the commencement. It is not very long since doubts were, in many quarters, entertained as to the practicability of this railway. It was thought that the line through a great portion of its distance traversed a desert; that the port of Kurrachee could never compete with Bombay ; that the Central Asian traffic with North Western India could not be attracted to the route of the Indus. But Mr Andrew showed . with descriptive eloquence, with statis tical accuracy, with local information. gathered from va • rious sources, that Kurrachee and the Indus are to North, Western India what Calcutta and the Ganges are to Bengal; that Kurrachee can compete with Bombay ; that all the traffic from the Jumna westward will find its natural outlet by the Indus; that the line, though for some distance pass ing through uninhabited country, has yet important ter mini at both extremities, which aro indeed the centres of a mighty trade. Besides this, Mr Andrew showed how this project is connected with the navigation of the Persian Gulf, the Euphrates Valley route, and the commercial lines in the:mountainousiregions of Central Asia. lam certain that if life and health are spared him he will be intimately connected with the future material prosperity of this pro vince." PLYMOUTH, Dec. 29.—The Essex from Port Philip Sept. 20, passed off this port to-day. She brings 140 passengers, 21,000 om. of gold, and a cargo of wool, tallow, leather, and other colonial produce. 14 passengers landed here this afternoon by pilot boat. HANDEL'S " MESSIAH."--When it was first per• formed, the audience was exceedingly struck and affected by the music in general; but when the choru struck up For the Lord God Omnipotent,' in the `H s alle lnjah,' they were so transported that they altogether, with the King (who happened to be present), started up, and remained standing till the chorus ended. It has bees well said that Handel's " Messiah" has "fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and fostered the orphan," for it is gene rally selected as the oratorio to be performed en charitable occasions. Handel gave an organ to the Foundling Hos pital, and conducted his " Messiah" there on 11 occasions, bringing to the charity a sum of £7,000. The trust p e y e r s i ,i h n t a somewhat narrow spiri t, w anted to obtain an Act of Pa r -. li ame nt to secure to the hospital a sort of semi.eo g in this immortal work. But Handel wrathfully excl-timca in his Germanized English. "For vat sal de Foundling put mine oratorio in de Parliament ? Mine music sal not go to de Parliament 1" SPORTING INTELLICTENCE. EALING STEEPLECHASES. There are at last strong symptoms that these. steeple. chases, so frequently postponed on account of frost, will come off. The promoter of the meeting informs us that la consequence of the decided thaw which has set in there is every probability of the sports being held on Tuesday and Wednesday next, and the meeting is once more put off to those days. Owners and trainers will thus have time to send their horses to the scene:f action. RACING FIXTURES FOR 1865. JANUARY. Manchester .. FEBRUARY. Lincoln spring . Nottingham Spring .... 2S .. 2 NARCII. Derby Spring 2 Liverpool Sprin t - Shrewsbury Spring 9 Doncaster S pr it g Warwick Spring .. Chclinsford Spring IL. C4ttcrick Bridge Thirsk Epsom Spring A r Nordnmpton 4 Crorton Palk 7 Durham Newmarket Crt.ven AI A Newmarket Ist Spring 1 Chester York Spring - 3u Epsom Summer (con.) 1 Manchester 7 Ascot Alexandra Park 2O Newmarket July Carlisle Pontefract AUG Huntingdon Reading Egham Oxford York August Salisbury Bath Epsom Summer 3O NE. Hampton Newton Newcastle Worcester Summer ~.. 29 LY. Nottingham Summer Chesterfield .... 21 Goodwood SEPTE: Weymouth (continued) 1 Leicester _7 Doncaster Brecon OCT , Northallarton Newmarket Second Oct 9 Plymouth .• 24 Lichfield . 2B, Devon and Exeter 1,9 Derby Summer .. Weymouth Rich mond Monmouth Manchester Autumn .. 22 Newmarket Ist October.. 26 IBER Newmarket Houghton.. 23 Worcester Autumn .... 31 NOVEMBER. Worcester Autumn (continued) 1 Now ready, G. SHELTON'S Derby Guide, is. G. R. Glenie, Sporting Library, Connaught-terrace, Hyda-park ; Sunday Times Office, _Fleet-street; and all agents. LOCKET'S Derby Analysis at a glance shows what the field for the Blue Riband will be selected from ; and con tains also selections for all the great three-year-old contests, selections fcr Manchester meeting, Waterloo Cup, &c, Price one shilling; had from Sunday Times office, and all the usual agents, or from E. Locket, Box L 2, Manchester, and G. R. Glenie, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park. PRICE ONE SHlLLlNG,—Nimrod's (Editor of the " Turf") " Analysis of the Dezby, Two Thousand, and Oaks ;" together with a copious index of dates of the most remarkable racing occurrences.—" Tu-f " Office, 3, Shoe. lane, Fleet-street ; and Glenie's Sporting Library, Con naught terrace, Hyde-park, W. Bank of England Return.•--Last Evening. An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth Victoria, cap. ;32, for the week ending on Wednesday, the 28th ci t o-,, of Dec. 1864: NMI DEPAMTMENT. otes Issued ......a28,036,475 Government Debt £ll,Ol 6,lCc Other Securities .. 3 .c/34900 Gold Coin & Bullion 13,,386,475 Silver Bullion .... £28,036,475 LY8,030,474 BANKING D l'ioprietors' Capi tal £14.553.000 Rest Vublic DepoPits (in cluding Exche quer, Savings' Banks, Commis missioners of Na tional Debt, and Dividend Ac- _ , EPARTMENT. Goyernmnt_Seen- rities (including Dead Weight A nnuity) C10,821,512 Other Securities 19,786,541 Notes ....... 8,663,490 Gold and Silver 714,498 Coin counts) 6,601.125 Other Deposits 13,010,143 Seven Day and other Bills 437,450 £39,959,072 £39,969,672 MILLER, Chief Cashier. Dec. 29, 186!. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This day, LONDON, Dec. 30.—Wind this day at noon—South- Westerly ; moderate breeze, axed fine weather, but rather cloudy. FALMOUTH, Dec. 29.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Laura, from Bjorneborg for Cette. GRIMSBY, Dec. 29.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Lord Car digan, screw steamer, from Hamburg—Francis Arcot, from San Sebastian. PLYMOUTH, Dec. 29.—Wind N.E.—Arrived—Fran else°, from liin;que Genius. from Zante for Hamburg-- Medea, from Valparaiso. CLYDE, Dee. 29.—Wind W.S.W.—Arrive4—Elizabeth Kanse, from Surinsn—Freza,from Sulina—Dragon.steamer, from Charente. DUNDEE, Dec. 28.—Wind S.E,—Sailed—Brilliant, for Quebec. QUEENSTOWN, Dec. 29.—Wind W.—Arrived—Agelia Arzanne, from Sagua la Grand. SWANSEA, Dec. 28.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Vulcan, from Bordeaux. HARWICH, Dec. 29.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Zealous, from Antwerp--Superb, from Shields for Alexandria, towed in. leaky. (BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.) GRAVESEND, Friday Morning. Arrived, Deo. 29.—Taurora, from Malmo. Arrived, Dec. 30—Governor, from Terceira; Resters, Stockholm. DEAL, Friday Morning. Passed, in tow, Dec. 39—Spirit of the North, from Lon 4 don, for Sydney. Passed—Hope, of Scarborough, from Sunderland, for Martinique. REOPENING OF THE LAW OFFlCES.—Yesterday the common law offices were reopened after the Christmas recess. The courts will not resume business until the 11th January, the first day of Hilary Term. About 60 tons of copper ore are now brought monthly to Southampton from the Cape of Good Hope by the Cape mail packet. This ore a few years ago was worth nearly £2O a ton. It is now doubled in value. A map has just been published at Berlin, with the title: "Map of the Hereditary Prussian Domains iu Schleswig and Holstein." The districts represented as be longing to Prussia by right are those of Rendsburg, Rein feld, and Ahrenskack, in Holstein ; the Isles of Alsen and. Arrack, the Sundewitt, with the billiwicks of Apenrade and Flensburg, in Schleswig. The rest of the Duchies falls to either the Prince of Augustenburg or the Grand Duke of Oldenburg, as may be decided. AN ARTIST WITHOUT ARMS.—There dwells in Antwerp an artist named Fillu, who, born with out arms, educated his feet effectively to do their work. His taste directed his choice of life. He became a painter, and has succeeded in being a very accomplished one. He may be seen. in the museum, copying with great fidelity some great work or other. He balances himself with ease and firmness on a stool, grasps his maulatick and palette with the left great toe, and with the right uses the brush with perfect facility. The toes of his feet are alone ex posed. 111. Fillu has a most agreeable and intelligent physiognomy.—Art Journal. A melancholy case of suicide took place three days ago at Verberie (Oise). A man named Vignon, 52 years of age, who had been employed as letter-carrier for the rural district for many years, and had acquired general confidence from the manner in which he dis• charged his duties, had a sum of 2,000 francs in bank notes confided to him by the cashier of a manu factory, and for which he was to bring back gold and silver. When Vignon arrived at Verherie he was horrified at finding that he had lost the notes, and in a moment of despair, at the idea of his honesty being suspected, he hanged himself, Scarcely an hour after the notes were returned to the person to whom they belonged, the packet having been picked up by a man who was passing along the road, and who found the address of the owner on the paper in which they were wrapped up. THE SIGNAL CORI'S IN THE AMERICAN ARMIES. —This signal corps is an institution peculiar to the American armies. On marches and during battles, high and commanling positions aro occupied by squadrons of this corps, who communicate with each other by fl i p , on the old semaphore system, and report all important com munications to their generals. The corps was found very useful last year, and has been much increased since, When Jackson wds forcing tke surrender of Harper's Ferry he was able to communicate from the Virginia Heights with fiPLaws, who was on the Maryland Heights, by means of two posts of the sigaal corps , whilst, it ho had been obliged to send couriers, they would have to make a detour of 25 miles.—Blackwoocl's Maga z i ne f or J an uary. SHIPBUILDING ON FOREIGN ACCOUNT.—In the course of 18t33 three sailing vessels of the aggregate bur.. den of 1,081 - tone, and 30 steam vessels of the aggregate burden of 16,236 tons, were built in the United King dom for foreigners. Of the sailing vessels one was built at Glocester and two at Hull. Of the steam-vessels two were built at Cowos, seven at Hull, two at L,iverpool, seven at Loudon, five at Newcastle, four at Glasgow, two at Greenock, and one at Port Glasgow. MURDER IN IRELAND.—LONGFORD, DEC. 28. Thomas Reynolds, petty sessions clerk, was fired at at Rathcone, about 9 o'clock last night, and wounded, from the effects of which he died this morning about 8 o'clock. The constabulary have made some arrests, and I have heard that the outrage is of an agrarian character.... Freeman's Journal. :MBER. sh are Mart 100 Sk 1 100 1 100 ..00 100 4took stook 20 stook I'. 0 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 etook stook stock stock stook MEN 10u 100 100 100 100 100 1321 47f 8 ,too} } ' I ..